Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: The Ranks of the Martial World
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Geommi Mountain, Cheoljang Peak.
It was the sharpest peak on the easternmost edge of Nang-ya-gak, a place of indescribably treacherous terrain.
*Sssk.*
A shadow walked along the sheer mountain path as if it were level ground.
Through his long, flowing hair, his eyes, still as ice, were visible. Between his high-bridged nose, his tightly sealed lips seemed to show an unshakeable resolve and an immovable heart.
It was Bu Eun-seol.
He took more than thirty steps in the space of a single breath.
It was proof of his considerably profound internal energy.
*Thud.*
Bu Eun-seol, who had been walking swiftly, finally reached the summit.
“Hoo.”
After lightly catching his breath, Bu Eun-seol looked up at the piercingly blue sky.
Cheoljang Peak.
This was where he had first come to formally learn martial arts after entering Nang-ya-gak. From an eccentric master known as Hyeol-geum-gang, he had received the Ban-geuk-sim-beop, which Hyeol-geum-gang prided himself on being the ultimate internal energy art in the martial world.
‘But I’ve only learned it.’
Bu Eun-seol could feel it.
He had learned martial arts too abruptly. As a result, he had lacked the time to properly digest them.
What he needed most was to sort out his understanding of his internal energy art.
‘There’s definitely been a change in my internal energy.’
Since his latent acupoints had been activated, several streams of powerful true ki had been stored within Bu Eun-seol’s body.
However, he still didn't know the extent of his internal energy or what level his art had reached.
“It has been a while.”
At that moment, a low voice spoke as a muscular, middle-aged man in kasaya robes slowly approached Bu Eun-seol from behind.
It was Hyeol-geum-gang.
“Elder.”
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands and bowed his head respectfully.
An internal energy art was the foundation of all martial studies. Although they weren't formally master and disciple, in his heart, Bu Eun-seol treated Hyeol-geum-gang as his teacher.
“I have heard much of your recent exploits.”
Hyeol-geum-gang nodded, seeing the faint light that dwelled in Bu Eun-seol’s eyes.
“You have grown even more in that time.”
“It is all thanks to your teachings, Elder.”
“Your silver tongue has improved as well.”
Hyeol-geum-gang nodded his head with a look of satisfaction.
“Did you come because you have questions about your internal energy art?”
“Yes, I did.”
Bu Eun-seol spoke respectfully.
“After experiencing various things, I realized I know nothing about my level of internal energy or the stages of the Ban-geuk-sim-beop.”
“Hmm.”
Hyeol-geum-gang nodded as if he had expected this.
“The time has come for me to give you my final lesson.”
His eyes, looking at Bu Eun-seol, were filled with pride and astonishment.
“Even for a prodigy like you, I thought it would take at least three years of arduous training to reach the third stage of the Ban-geuk-sim-beop.”
Hyeol-geum-gang smiled faintly and said in a low voice.
“But it seems my prediction was wrong.”
He then raised a hand and took hold of Bu Eun-seol’s wrist pulse.
“Your current internal energy is slightly over sixty years’ worth.”
“You mean my internal energy is more than sixty years’ worth?”
“Your latent acupoints have been activated. Because of that, the pure true ki you had generated through cultivation has been converted into Ban-geuk true ki.”
“Fifty-odd years…”
Bu Eun-seol’s eyes widened.
He had felt that his latent acupoints had been activated.
But he hadn't known that when pure true ki generated through cultivation was converted by an internal art, one's power would snowball like this.
“Can you know everything just by taking someone’s pulse, like you just did?”
“Not exactly. I can easily read the flow of your true ki because you and I have learned the exact same internal art.”
After a moment of thought, Bu Eun-seol asked again.
“Then how is the level of internal energy measured?”
“It can be estimated by the counter-force. When taking a pulse, the force needed to push back a tenth of an inch can be seen as roughly three years of internal energy.”
“Is there no other way to know?”
“One other way would be in a contest of internal energy. By calculating the counter-force of your opponent's internal energy pushing against you, you can roughly guess their level.”
Hyeol-geum-gang continued his explanation without pause.
He also went into detail about the realms of the Ban-geuk-sim-beop.
“For your reference, your Ban-geuk-sim-beop has already entered the third stage. The Ban-geuk glow has formed in your eyes. In terms of martial realms, this is equivalent to reaching the entry level of the Peak Realm.”
“The Peak Realm… you say?”
As Bu Eun-seol blinked, Hyeol-geum-gang looked exasperated.
“I see. You haven't even learned about the martial realms.”
He clicked his tongue and explained.
“The Peak Realm is a state beyond the First-Rate, where the body and internal energy have reached their limits. Surpassing the Peak Realm is called the Transcendent Realm.”
“The Transcendent Realm…”
“Correct. Reaching the apex of one's learned martial arts is called the Transcendent Realm. After that, there is a realm called the Celestial Realm.”
Hyeol-geum-gang wore a solemn expression.
“Upon reaching the Celestial Realm, one can freely control their body and mind, transcending the constraints of internal energy and the limits of the body.”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“The hegemons and masters who dominate a region have all reached this realm. Of course, even within the same realm, there are highs and lows, like the entry stage and the final stage.”
“Then is there a realm above that?”
“Of course. When one reaches the quintessence of martial arts, they achieve a state of perfection in whatever they do. This is called the Martial Zenith. However, depending on the level of enlightenment, that perfection can be broken, so there are subtle differences even within the Martial Zenith.”
After pondering for a moment, Bu Eun-seol replied.
“Then the masters who dominate the world must have reached the Martial Zenith.”
Hyeol-geum-gang nodded.
“That is correct. Among them, the Master of the Demonic Cult and the Lord of the Murim Alliance are considered to have reached the pinnacle of the Martial Zenith. That is why they are called the Twin Celestial Emperors of Justice and Demonic.”
“The Twin Celestial Emperors of Justice and Demonic…”
The two masters who governed the two great powers of the martial world had both reached the highest realm.
“Below them are the Three Demons and the Three Revered Ones. After them come the Four Gods and Seven Kings.”
‘There are so many masters in the martial world.’
The more Bu Eun-seol listened to Hyeol-geum-gang’s explanation, the more he keenly felt that he was lacking not only in martial arts but also in worldly knowledge.
Then, something suddenly occurred to him, and he asked again.
“If there are those who have reached the Martial Zenith… then surely there must be a realm above that.”
“There is. It is called the Heaven’s Will Realm. It is said that one transcends human limits and comes to understand even the will of heaven. A boundless realm, unified with the primordial existence, so to speak. However, no human in the history of the martial world has ever reached it…”
Bu Eun-seol held his breath.
Hearing about the martial realms he had never known before, the path he had to walk began to appear before him.
“Are your questions finished?”
At Hyeol-geum-gang’s question, Bu Eun-seol came back to his senses.
He reminded himself that he should be asking about internal energy, not martial realms.
“Then what happens when one reaches the third stage of the Ban-geuk-sim-beop?”
“First and foremost, you reach a state of being impervious to fire and water.”
“Impervious to fire and water…”
Only then did Bu Eun-seol understand why he had been unharmed by the cold of the ice crystals in the lake.
“Not only that, but because you can freely control your internal energy, you can use your ki to gather poisons. In short, at the third stage, you have completed enough internal energy cultivation to make a name for yourself in the Kangho.”
Bu Eun-seol did not stop his questions.
He had made a decision before coming here. And because of that decision, today might be the last day he would ever see Hyeol-geum-gang.
“Then what about the fourth stage?”
“Upon reaching the fourth stage, you can generate a protective true ki that can shield your entire body, similar to the Xuanmen Gangqi. In terms of martial realms, it means you have broken through the Peak and reached the Transcendent Realm.”
“The Transcendent Realm…”
“Correct. And upon reaching the fifth stage, you can give form to your internal energy. At this point, you surpass the Transcendent Realm.”
Hyeol-geum-gang continued his explanation.
“According to the scriptures, at the sixth stage, one reaches a boundless state where internal energy never runs dry, and at the seventh stage, one can escape the constraints of the body. Finally, upon reaching the eighth stage, one can obtain the power of nature and influence the creation and destruction of all things.”
“I don’t quite understand. How can a human wield the power of nature and influence creation and destruction?”
“The scriptures are just scriptures. Realms that have not been reached are sometimes filled with human imagination.”
Hyeol-geum-gang smiled bitterly.
“Just by reaching the end of the fifth stage, I have never once been pushed back in a contest of internal energy against the masters of the world. But after that, no matter how hard I tried, I could not enter the sixth stage.”
He let out a deep sigh and muttered softly.
“Perhaps it is merely an imaginary realm.”
All the questions he had held in his heart were now answered.
Hyeol-geum-gang looked into Bu Eun-seol’s eyes and said with a smile.
“So. Have you decided to go out into the Kangho?”
“How did you know?”
“Now that you’ve reached the third stage, your internal energy will deepen day by day even if you don't cultivate every day.”
Hyeol-geum-gang spoke calmly, as if he had already seen through Bu Eun-seol’s intentions.
“If you weren’t planning to go out into the Kangho, there would be no need for you to come find me and ask all these questions.”
After a moment of silence, Hyeol-geum-gang’s expression became one of relief.
“With this, I have repaid all my debts to Nang-ya-gak… I suppose I can leave this place with a peaceful mind now.”
“Are you planning to leave right away?”
“We’ll see.”
From his tone and gaze, it didn't seem like he was planning to leave Nang-ya-gak immediately.
“You need not worry about where I am. Wherever I may be, are we not all under the same sky?”
Hyeol-geum-gang smiled faintly and patted Bu Eun-seol’s shoulder.
“The storms of the Kangho are harsh. Please, take care of yourself.”
His voice was gruff but held a deep affection.
Suppressing the emotion welling up in his chest, Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands and bowed deeply.
“Until we meet again, stay well, Elder.”
Returning to his residence, Bu Eun-seol fell into deep thought.
He had acquired enough internal energy to be active in the Kangho, but he realized he knew nothing about martial arts.
‘Looking back, I’ve learned quite a lot of martial arts.’
In Hell Island, he learned the basics of the Beastly Blade and the Hwau Sword, and even mastered the ultimate killing art, the Thunder Flash Formless Style.
In Nang-ya-gak, he learned a proper internal energy art, as well as movement and footwork techniques. And from Dang Cheong, the basics of practical combat.
And through his experience with the Changshin Squad, he had faintly grasped the Heavenly Tyrant Blade Annihilation, the Art of Divided Mind, and the Secret of the Heavy Sword.
‘But… none of it is mine.’
He had learned martial arts too abruptly, and he had lacked the time to properly digest them.
Wasn't he still at a level where he couldn't even freely use Cheon Un-gwang's Thunder Flash Formless Style?
‘The problem is, I don’t have time either.’
He was a person of interest to the White Horse Temple, the Hwau Sword Clan, the Demonic Cult's Elder Jeok Pung, and even the Murim Alliance.
He didn't have three years to learn Nang-ya-gak's martial arts; he had to become strong enough to escape their grasp in a short amount of time.
‘There’s only one way.’
There was no time to leisurely learn martial arts.
‘I have to master them through real combat.’
Bu Eun-seol clenched his fists.
All of Nang-ya-gak’s martial arts were for practical combat.
There was a limit to learning through the usual methods—oral formulas, scriptures, and practice forms.
‘It was the same when I learned from Elder Sau.’
To teach Bu Eun-seol the Beastly Blade, Sau had actually attacked him.
Go-wol, who taught him the Extreme Speed Shadowless Step, and Dang Cheong, who taught him the basics of practical combat, had also shown him real fighting rather than demonstrations.
Knowing this well, Bu Eun-seol had joined the Changshin Squad to perform missions in order to learn the secrets of martial arts.
‘If I experience real combat, not just practice, I’ll be able to digest all the martial arts I’ve learned so far and make them my own.’
Having made up his mind, Bu Eun-seol stood up.
“To do that…”
Gazing at the distant sky visible through the window, his eyes flashed.
He had realized what he needed most to go out into the Kangho.
***
“The state of the Kangho?”
Baek-yeon, who was sitting in a pavilion drinking tea, blinked his eyes.
Bu Eun-seol had suddenly come to him asking about the current state of affairs in the Kangho.
“To be interested in the state of the Kangho… does this mean you intend to become an official member of my squad?”
The Pung-un Squad was Nang-ya-gak’s intelligence organization.
All its members traveled the Kangho, dealing in high-purity information and secrets.
But Bu Eun-seol, whose martial talent had been recognized by Dang Cheong, was showing interest in the Pung-un Squad?
“That’s not it. I just want to get information about the current situation in the Kangho and about the various clans.”
“Information about the situation in the Kangho and the clans…”
Finally grasping Bu Eun-seol’s true intentions, Baek-yeon furrowed his brow.
“You always try to walk the difficult and treacherous path.”
He sighed deeply, shook his head, and said.
“The information I possess can influence the entire landscape of the Murim. There is nothing I can tell someone who is not a member of the Pung-un Squad.”
“I understand.”
Without another word, Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands and withdrew.
Seeing his resolute demeanor, Baek-yeon spoke in a low voice.
“Go and see Master Cheol.”
“...?”
“Master Cheol will know best about the things you want to know.”
“Thank you.”
Bu Eun-seol immediately headed for the blacksmith’s forge where Master Cheol, Wang-geol, was.
Leaving the small path by the pavilion, a wide marketplace came into view. As he walked through the area lined with shops like a market, he heard a clanging sound in the distance.
It was the sound coming from Wang-geol’s forge.
*Clang, clang.*
Watching Wang-geol indifferently hammering away, Bu Eun-seol was suddenly struck by a strange question.
‘Come to think of it, it’s strange.’
Those called ‘Master’ in Nang-ya-gak were figures equivalent to ‘Elders’ in other clans.
But Wang-geol was painstakingly forging weapons at the entrance of Nang-ya-gak, and he always answered any questions asked of him.
But upon reflection, it felt as though such a life was not one Wang-geol had chosen for himself.
*Step, step.*
As Bu Eun-seol approached the front of the forge, Wang-geol, who was hammering, spoke without even glancing at him.
“What is it?”
“There is something I wish to ask.”
“Ask.”
“I want to know about the current state of the Kangho.”
“The state of the Kangho…”
At that, Wang-geol stopped hammering and straightened his body.
He looked into Bu Eun-seol’s eyes and then nodded his head.
“Follow me.”